Station-indicator



R. G. POO'LE.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, I920- 1,3'5'8,873. I Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

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UNITED STATES ROBERT GARLAND POOLE, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

STATION-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed February 17, 1920. Serial No. 359,330.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT GARLAND POOLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is the provision of a simple and reliable electromechanical station indicator, and one well adapted to withstand the vibrations and the usage to which station indicators are ordinarily subjected on cars.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, hereby made a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my novel station indicator.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail views of the mechanism for transmitting motion to the roller for moving step by step the endless band that bears the name of the station.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The casing l of the improved station indicator is provided in its forward end wall 2 with a window 3 for'the display of the names of the stations on an endless band 4, of appropriate translucent material.

Carried at the inner side of the wall 2 and disposed above and below the horizontal center of the window 3 are guide rollers 5 between which and the window a vertical stretch of the band 4 is movably disposed, as indicated by 6.

- In rear of the said stretch 6 is arranged in the casing an incandescent electric lamp 7, the filament of which is designed to be electrically connected with a source of electrical energy (not illustrated). While I prefer to employ an electric lamp for obvious reasons, it is manifestly within the purview of my'invention to employ a lamp of any other description.

Disposed in fixed relation in the casing 1 in rear of the lamp 7 is an inclined rack 8, the upper end of which is considerably in advance of the lower end thereof, for a reason that will be hereinafter .made clear. In

said rack S are mounted in spaced relation a plurality of transverse rollers 9.

Adjacent to the rear of the casing 1 is arranged therein a rack 10 that carries a vertical series of spaced transverse rollers 11. The upper end of the said rack 10 is hinged at 12 to the top wall of the casing, and the lower portion of the rack is subject to the action of a tensioning screw 13. mounted at 14. Any desired number of the screws 13 may be employed as found eX- pedient.

Trained over the rollers 5 and the rollers 9 and 11 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 1 is the before mentioned endless band 4, and therefore it will be apparent that when the lowermost of the rollers 9 is turned clockwise about its axis, the band 4 will be moved in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, so as to present the station names thereon one after the other in interposed relation between the window 3 and the lamp 7, with the result that the said names will be prominently displayed to the passengers in a car.

In order to enable a conductor or other person in authority to turn the said lowermost roller 9 and thereby move the band 4 step by step at intervals, and this while such person is at a considerable distance from the indicator, I provide the electromechanical means shown in Fig. 1. The said means comprises an electro-magnet 15. This magnet is designed to be arranged in a normally open circuit with a source of electric energy and a switch (not shown) which latter may be and preferably is in the form of a push-button located adjacent to a conductors stand adjacent to the rear end of a car. The said means also comprises a rectilinearly movable armature 16 complementary to the magnet 15 and car ried at the forward end of a rack bar 17, guided in standards 18, and subject to the action of a retractile spring 18 for moving it rearwardly when the magnet 15 is denergized. The rearward movement of the bar 17 is limited by a stop-collar Fig. 1, arranged to cooperate with the foremost standard 18. Loose on the shaft of the lowermost roller 9 is a spur gear 19 that is intermeshed with the rack bar 17 and is provided at 20 with a resilient dog. The said dog 20 is opposed, Fig. 4., to a ratchet 21, fast on the shaft of the lowermost roller 9.

From this it follows that incidental to forward movement of the rack bar 17 the lower roller 9 will be turned clockwise to feed the band t in the direction indicated, and that on the rearward movement of the bar 17, the dog 20 will click idly over the teeth of the ratchet 21, so that no turning movement of the said roller 9 will attend the rearward movement of the bar 17.

It will be apparent from the foregoing thatv when. one station name is displayed through the window 3, all that is necessary to be done in order to bring about the display of the next station is for the conductor to close the switch and energize the magnet 15; Then when the conductor opens the switch, the parts willbe restored to the positions shown in Fig. 1, ready for the succeeding operation.

It will also be apparent that the arrangement of the forward rollers 9 in an inclined series as illustrated, affords ample space in the lower forward portion of the casing 1 for the positioning and operation of the electro-mechanical actuating mechanism of the indicator.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is: i

A station indicator comprising a casing having a window in one of its end walls, guides carried by said wall in rear of said window, a rear rack hinged at one end in the casing, adjustable means acting against the opposite end of the rack to hold said rack against forward movement, transverse rollers mounted in said rack, a forward, downwardly and rearwardly inclined rack fixed between the top and bottom walls of the casing, transverse rollers in said rack, a

translucent endless band trained over the Intestimony whereof I alfix my signature. v

ROBERT GARLAND POOLE. 

